For Immediate Release
Contact: Tanya Tabachnikoff, 802-258-9263; [email protected]
Polar Arctic Explorer Ann E. Bancroft to Speak at Marlboro College 1999 Commencement
MARLBORO, VT ñ On Sunday, May 16, Marlboro CollegeÃs graduation ceremony will feature Ann E. Bancroft, age 43, the worldÃs most preeminent woman arctic explorer, as commencement speaker. Bancroft, of Scardia, Minn., will receive an honorary doctorate from Marlboro Collegein Vermont for her accomplishments as the first woman to travel across ice to both the North and South Poles.
Featured in the book "Remarkable Women of the Twentieth Century" (1998), Bancroft was inducted into the National WomenÃs Hall of Fame in 1995 and was named Ms. MagazineÃs ìWoman of the Yearî in 1987.
Bancroft has just announced that she will attempt a 2,400-mile traverse of Antactica with fellow explorer Liv Arnesen of Oslo, Norway in the fall of 2000. The two women will ski 2,400 miles on skis, pulling 250 lb. sleds from Queen Maud Land to the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea. They plan to cover 15 miles per day, enduring temperatures averaging minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit and winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour. When they arrive at their destination, they will be the first women to have made it across the continent on skis, setting the record as the longest ski trek ever made by women.
The former teachers have arranged for a free curriculum based on Antarctica and the Bancroft Arnesen Expedition to be distributed to more than 30,000 K-6 classrooms throughout the U.S.
"Ever since we were 12 years old, reading about Shackleton and other plar explorers, Liv and I have dreamed of skiing across Antarctica," Bancroft said. "But this expedition is more than a crossing of a continent, it's a global educationprogram."
Bancroft originally made her mark as the worldÃs most accomplished female arctic explorer by dog sledding 1,000 miles as the only female member of the Steger International Polar Expedition in 1986. In 1993, Bancroft served as the team leader for the American WomenÃs Expedition, a group of four women who skied over 660 miles, pulling 200 pound sleds to reach the South Pole.
She has worked closely with American-Soviet exchange programs such as ìSki for Peace,î which is designed to foster communication and understanding between the two countries. In addition, she has helped provide an education program for thousands of youth on the environmental challenges in Antarctica.
Ms. Bancroft has been featured in Ms., People, Vogue, USA Today, National Geographic, Outside, McCalls, Shape, Sports Illustrated and other national. In addition to being inducted into both the National WomenÃs Hall of Fame and the National Girls and Women in Sports Hall of Fame, she is a recipient of the YWCA Women First Award.
Bancroft has taught elementary school and been involved in education for 17 years. After earning a bachelorÃs degree from the University of Oregon, Bancroft taught physical and special education in Minneapolis schools. She coached such sports as basketball, tennis, softball, track and field, and volleyball. Currently she is an instructor in outdoor and wilderness activities for Wilderness Inquiry, an organization which helps disabled and able-bodied individuals experience wilderness adventures.
Bancroft has served as a spokesperson for M.S. Society, United Way, United Cerebral Palsy, Learning Disabilities Association, Wilderness Inquiry, the Kateri Residence for Indian Women, and the Minnesota State High School League.
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To download images for stories related to the Bancroft Arnesen Expedition, visit the Press Room on www.yourexpedition.com
For more information on Marlboro College in Vermont, please visit http://www.marlboro.edu or contact Tanya Tabachnikoff at 802-258-9263.
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